The Director’s Statement

Jason Scadron, Washington, D.C., October, 2009

It has been an inspiring experience documenting the building of what has been called The Green House and rightfully so - a carbon-neutral, arts and crafts style home located in downtown McLean, Virginia - that I wish I could reside in with my family. The building of this house has brought together a countless group of talented and dedicated individuals and organizations. Always there to welcome you was the builder Mark Turner who never turned away my camera. There was a crisscross between construction crews, the dedicated women of CharityWorks, West Group’s Mark Lowham, the numerous enthusiastic interior designers, and just curious passersby. Everyone involved shared the same goals of creating a model home for energy-efficiency that is both architecturally beautiful and designed with luxurious, eco-friendly living spaces.

As I reflect on this past year of production, I seem to block out the fact that I commuted back and forth to The Green House. My challenge was always driving through Tysons Corner, an extremely dense business district absent of trees and color. It is a crazy course with no back roads as the Capital Beltway divides it. You know an area is overdeveloped when there is a sense of panic that you cannot escape it.

However, upon reaching the site of The Green House, there was always a spirit that this house was serving a greater good and perhaps making a political statement. A lot of thought went into building this house from using innovative technologies, the latest and brightest products, and preserving resources like the property’s mature trees. In addition, a lot of effort went into the interior design of the house transforming it into a welcoming designer showhouse with all proceeds donated to four local charities.

It is an amazing story that I am grateful to be a part of. The timing is right for this first carbon-neutral house (on the East coast).

The Executive Producer's Statement

Liv Violette, Mclean, VA, October, 2009

“The time is now. We must come together,” sings the artist who wrote the song for the documentary The Green House: Design it. Build it. Live it. The Green HouseProject, built in Mclean, Virginia is an inspirational example of what greatness can be achieved when we do act together. Whether you believe global warming is merely political maneuvering or not, no one can dispute that our water, oil and air supply cannot sustain our current living practices. The time is now. We must come together.

Come together they did, and our cameras were rolling. Builders. Designers. Environmentalists. Business leaders. Charity organizations. Community Leaders worked together for the common goal of creating a home that promoted a new life style. A life style palatable for us all to embrace that could perhaps change the course of our reckless consumerism and help save our planet.

This documentary captures an entire year within which we all learned together. The more we learned, the more we realized that there was no going back to our old ways of living.

Once you see this film, you will have been exposed to a richer, healthier existence that is revolutionary in that it is possible for everyone if we just open our minds and our hearts! I am proud to be the Executive Producer of this film as well as thankful to have met all the participants in this extraordinary experience.